Sometimes we let things like home maintenance fall to the wayside because we just do not think about them. Our cars go thousands of miles before we take them in for an oil change, our home to-do list grows ever longer, and menial tasks get lost in the mix of all the other things we have to do. It is an understandable oversight, but not a wise one. In the case of your drains, it is important to be aware of the risks of not keeping them maintained regularly.
Regular sink maintenance can prevent clogs, avoid costly repairs, prevent health risks, and extend the life of your pipes and plumbing system. Here are some reasons to keep your sinks maintained in Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven, and the surrounding areas.
Regular Maintenance Prevents Clogs
Over time things like food, waste, hair, soap, and other gunk clumps together, building up inside your drains and pipes until they are completely blocked. Failing to maintain your sinks causes this buildup to worsen and before you know it, the water in your sink will not go down or you are standing in ankle-deep water while showering. Clogs are never convenient and never easy to deal with, therefore it is best to do what we can to prevent them.
Taking stoppers out of your drains and removing any built-up hair and other debris will help prevent these items from going down your pipes and getting stuck. Using baking soda and vinegar is a great way to clear out your pipes without damaging them. Our posts on what eats through hair in a drain and keeping your drains from getting clogged go through the rest of the habits that help.
Once a sink slows down for good, home remedies stop working. That is the point to book a professional drain cleaning, and our guide on fixing a slow draining sink explains how to tell the difference between a local clog and a line problem.
Maintaining Your Sinks Avoids Costly Repairs
The truth of the matter is plumbing repairs are not always cheap. Regular sink maintenance can help you avoid nasty clogs and other serious issues such as water leaks in your plumbing system that result in costly repairs. Taking the time to clean your sinks may seem like a hassle, but even a little bit of time each month can drastically help in preventing issues in your home’s plumbing system and avoid a high repair bill.
A worn cartridge or a dripping supply line is a straightforward faucet repair when you catch it early. A drip you ignore soaks the cabinet base and the subfloor, and that is a much larger bill. Our post on the importance of regular plumbing maintenance makes the same case for the whole system, and the True Home membership puts the annual inspection on a schedule so it does not get forgotten.
Sink Maintenance Prevents Health Risks
Sinks can be some of the dirtiest and germiest places in our home because of all the bacteria and gunk that builds up in these areas. Bacteria like Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli, and Staphylococcus are all common in and around sinks. These bacteria are known culprits in causing severe illnesses. Falling behind on sink cleaning and maintenance increases the risk of coming into contact with these bacteria and falling ill. Cleaning your sinks keeps these bacteria at a bearable level and prevents them from spreading to the rest of your home.
Dirty water coming up rather than going down is a different problem entirely. Wastewater rising into a sink or tub points at the main line, and that needs sewer backup repair rather than cleaning. Do not keep using fixtures while it is happening. If it started overnight, our 24/7 emergency plumbers can be out before it spreads.
Extends the Life of Your Pipes and Plumbing System
Properly maintaining your sinks greatly extends the life of your pipes and plumbing system. Clogs, buildup, grease, and large amounts of waste all put a strain on your pipes and slowly weaken them. A weakened pipe is more susceptible to bursting, causing a water leak and subsequent water damage to your home. A pipe that fails inside a wall is rarely caught early, which is why professional leak detection is worth running before the damage shows.
Oftentimes we wait until we have a clog to do anything about it. We then pour store-bought drain cleaners down our sinks, which are harsh and abrasive on your pipes. Store-bought drain cleaners actually eat away at your pipes and weaken them over time, leading to further problems. Regular sink maintenance prevents clogs, thus eliminating the need for harsh, abrasive chemicals that shorten the life of your pipes.
Hard water does the same slow damage from the inside, coating pipe walls and fixture screens with scale. A whole-home water softener stops the buildup at the source, which also improves how the water tastes at the kitchen tap. When the supply lines are already too far gone to keep patching, whole-home repiping is the fix.
Needing some help with sink maintenance?
At True Plumbers & AC we understand the importance of sink maintenance. We have all the necessary expertise and tools needed to help keep your sinks and pipes running smoothly. If you live in Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven, and the surrounding areas, call us today at (863) 667-6364 to see what we can do for you!
